


Barkskin Birthday

by BlackPencilKitten



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-25 11:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17724620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackPencilKitten/pseuds/BlackPencilKitten
Summary: It's a special day for Ignis Scientia, and Noctis and Prompto have plans to celebrate it. When a hunt goes wrong and Ignis gets hurt, it's up to them and Gladio to heal his wounds while making a new plan on the fly.





	Barkskin Birthday

Morning in the Myrlwood is off to a good start as everyone wakes up, back pain minimal and having gotten a good night’s sleep. Breakfast is a simple meal of toast, eggs, and ham, but it gives them the energy they need to last until lunch. There are no plans for the day other than a single hunt that night, which frees up the morning for leisurely activities.

Noctis heads down to the Myrlwood Falls to fish, aiming to resupply their stock of trout. Prompto tags along with his favorite camera and uses the opportunity to take beautiful pictures of the lake and its surrounding scenery. Gladio spends the first half of the morning foraging nearby for ingredients, and afterwards makes himself comfy by the fire with a good book. Ignis requires a can of Ebony to fully wake up, but once he’s alive he busies himself by tallying supplies, making open plans for the next few days, and watching the others enjoy themselves.

As he finishes taking photos of the Myrlwood Falls, Prompto takes a seat by Noctis at the dock and starts up a conversation. He keeps his voice low so not to scare away the fish, before lowering it further to a whisper. He makes hand motions as he talks, and whatever he’s saying, Noctis nods along, chiming in here and there. Their chatter attracts Ignis’ attention, but he doesn’t dare to ask about it. It’s rude to interrupt a conversation, and judging by their body language, it’s a private one. None of his business, frankly. Everyone has their secrets.

Lunch comes around fast, and with Noctis’ biggest catch Ignis prepares some excellent oven-roasted myrltrout. Half of the afternoon is still free, and they spend it chatting among themselves at camp, going over plans for the near future, asking about each other’s hobbies, and eventually talking about whatever else comes to mind.

Early afternoon transitions into late, and camping supplies are stored away inside a still-standing tent. Even if they made great time with their hunt, there’s no doubt that they’d be staying in the Myrlwood for one more night. The haven’s runes ward away monsters should any wander near, and no one would dare the forest so late in the day. With supplies packed and minds focused, the group leaves the safety of the camp and enter the wilds.

 

The thicket tunnel to their hunt location is disturbingly empty, and as they near the end, the animalistic snarls explain why. A Mandrake smacks two Mushussu around, only for one to headbutt and knock it down. Scaled drill-like arms pierce through barkskin, injecting venom into veins, and though they’re thrown off the damage is done, poison whittling away at the Mandrake’s health. Unfortunately, a Mushussu is thrown their way, and when it recovers from the throw it pounces on the closest target.

Prompto yells as he’s knocked to the ground, and the Mushussu prepares to stab him before Gladio slams it with his shield. Noctis pulls Prompto to his feet and parries an attack from the second Mushussu, flung at him by the Mandrake. It charges at them, and Ignis throws a spear that punctures its side, stopping it in its tracks.

In any other part of the Myrlwood, a fight with a Mandrake and Mushussu would be fine. The tunnels, however, are tight, making it hard to maneuver around friend or foe. Noctis warps to the Mandrake and knocks it over, only for it to kick him off towards Gladio. Gladio avoids getting hit, but it leaves an opening for a Mushussu to attack, jumping at him and forcing him to the ground. He tries to wrestle it off, but it stabs its scales into his shoulder. With a yell he forces it off him, and Noctis warp-strikes to pull it away, nearly hitting Gladio in the process.

Prompto and Ignis focus their attacks on the Mandrake, its poisoned state making it easier to kill. Ignis drives daggers into its side with slashes and kicks, jumping over its tail as it swings. Prompto stays out of its reach and shoots from afar, aiming at the head for the most damage. The Mandrake slams its arms against the ground but misses both of them, and the stacked damage weakens it further, until it can barely swing its tail.

They don’t get to finish as a Mushussu lunges at it, stabbing it with its arms and dealing the final blow. However, the Mandrake produces an ear-splitting sound as it dies, one that only Noctis manages to avoid by covering his ears.

Noctis looks between his afflicted allies in panic, summoning a vial of smelling salt but unsure who to heal first. The question is answered for him as Gladio attacks, Noctis diving out of the way. He smashes the vial at Gladio’s feet, and then an antidote, he doesn’t know if Gladio used one already or not. Regardless, the salt does its magic, bringing Gladio back to his senses.

Prompto fires between Ignis and a Mushussu, which tears at its friend with no mercy. Ignis thankfully still attacks them, giving Gladio time to break a salt vial under Prompto’s nose as he’s distracted.

In that time one of the Mushussu dies, but whether it’s because of Prompto, Ignis, or its confused ally is unknown. By all means it’s a combination of all three. With its friend dead, the Mushussu turns its attention to Ignis, dodging his attacks and charging forward, stabbing him in the leg. Ignis crumples to the ground with a silent scream, and Prompto and Gladio distract the Mushussu with shots and slashes as Noctis rushes to Ignis’ side.

A salt vial, antidote, and potion are broken in quick succession, and Ignis shakes his head to clear his head. He pushes himself to his feet and rejoins the battle, Noctis not a step behind him. Now that its ally and enemy are dead and the group’s cured of Confusion, the Mushussu doesn’t stand a chance. It fights valiantly, but ultimately it joins the other monsters lifeless on the ground.

The group take a minute or two to recover from the encounter before making their way to the end of the tunnel. A small slab of rock extending out from the stones beside it allows for a quick view around the whole clearing. The gang crouches by the rock walls, scanning the area for any sign of more monsters. It’s unusually empty, possessing a single tree in the middle surrounded by shallow water in a small area. The Mandrakes appear to have been the only creatures that inhabited it, but the air reeks of deception and danger.

“I sense we’re not alone.” Ignis comments, Prompto and Noctis nodding in agreement.

“Watch your backs.” Gladio warns, and the group follows the rock barrier down a short descent. The connecting slope has rocks of a much smaller size separating it from the clearing, rendering the gang without cover. There’s a distinct lack of sound besides their own footsteps, even the wind had gone still. Reaching the bottom of the path, the silence is broken by the rustle of leaves. They ready their weapons, and when Noctis steps towards the tree in the clearing, a Treant descends from the branches.

“Those plants seem to have legs.” Prompto notes, darting to the back of the group.

“Guess you were right, Iggy.” Gladio says, taking a defensive stance. Ignis positions himself around Noctis, grinning smugly.

“When am I not?”

“Gloat later!” Noctis commands as the Treant turns to face them. With a roar it leaps at them, and Noctis rolls out of its way as his allies dodge and flank around it. The Treant swings its tail, the group ducking in unison and backing away. It releases a sickly green mist from its mouth, and they cover their noses and wait for it to dissipate before moving in.

Noctis throws his sword and warp-strikes the beast, warping out of harm’s way before striking again. He chains strikes together as Prompto fires bullets into its head, Ignis focusing his attacks on the Treant’s legs and Gladio slashing at the tail. It knocks them away with a fast swing of its arms and smashes its fists into the ground, forcing them to dodge before they recover.

Noctis tries to warp around it, but it grabs and throws him with its tail, sending him crashing into a wall with a yell. Prompto shouts his name, drawing the Treant’s attention to him, and he dives out of the way as it pounds the ground. Gladio switches to his shield and slams one of the Treant’s legs, weaving between them and repeating the attacks. Ignis falls back and switches to throwing his weapons, calling back and changing from dagger to spear and back. Prompto fires at it, but the Treant focuses back on Noctis, who gets to his feet. Before it can attack again, Noctis point-warps up the wall, and with seconds of safety calls out to his advisor.

“Ignis, analysis!”

By its family tree, Treants are weak to Fire. Unlike the younger Mandrakes, however, firearms and swords deal no extra damage. Daggers, polearms, and shields perform as expected across both of them, and for a few moments it appears the Treant lacks weapon weaknesses, tanking damage with ease and knocking them back.

Prompto pulls out his circular saw and rushes around it, slashing at its tail. Chunks of rotten bark tear through the air, and a sizable gash is left in its wake. Gladio follows up with an overhead attack, and in one powerful motion severs the tip of the tail, putting an end to its grabbing days.

“It’s weak to Fire, Machines, and Greatswords!”

With that in mind, Noctis pulls out a Firaga Flask and dodges around the Treant, looking for an opening. One pops up but closes immediately, his teammates would be caught in its area. There’s another, then another, but someone’s in the blast zone, in danger of friendly fire. He ducks under massive swings of arm and tail and rolls under the Treant’s body, but an opening fails to show up. No, the Treant pauses, the others are away, it’s the perfect opportunity--

Toxic smog surrounds him and he can’t cover his nose in time. Noxious gas fills his lungs and he coughs once, twice, multiple times as the gas rushes to his head. The world spins violently, and his vision blurs as he stumbles back. Something approaches him, but it’s brown and green and distorted, and it looks far too similar to the pale one twice its size. Similar, related, shares a weakness to-

Noctis throws the flask and it shatters on the ground, exploding into an inferno that attacks anything in its range. Ignis shouts and recoils from it, and the Treant knocks him away from the center of the field but not out of the fire’s reach. He screams in pain and rolls the last few feet away from the pyre, extinguishing the flames that cling to his skin. His forearms are mangled with grotesque scarring, and he hastily summons and breaks a potion. It heals most of the damage, but spots of burnt skin remain.

A shriek pulls his attention to Prompto, who runs and trips out of the burning ground. He rolls wildly to suffocate the flames, and Ignis grabs another potion and throws it at him. It fractures next to him, but its healing aura washes over him and reverts the damage.

Gladio manages to avoid the flame field, but the Treant throws him into a wall, cracking the rock he hits. He lands on the ground and uses a potion to recover, and the only good news is the beast burns too. Bark scorches and falls as Prompto fires at it, grabbing its attention. It charges but he can’t get up fast enough, and it knocks him back down with a sickening crunch.

Noctis wobbles and throws his sword, warping straight into the air. The Treant smacks him into another wall, and Gladio shield bashes it as a distraction. In the chaos Ignis rushes to Prompto’s side, crushing a potion over his body. More noxious smoke fills the air, and he pulls Prompto out of its range before hurrying towards Noctis.

Ignis nearly makes it before a greatsword collides with his side, cutting a deep gash into it. He lurches to the ground as Gladio raises his weapon, and he narrowly moves in time for the sword to strike uselessly at the ground. He breaks a vial of smelling salts on the blade, letting the scents do their work as he fumbles for a potion. Ignis downs the potion and scrambles to Noctis’ side, ignoring the pain and pulling out another salt vial, breaking it with a dagger.

The Treant lunges towards them, but a piercing shot from Prompto distracts it. He moves backwards as he fires more bullets, only to falter and scream as it jumps at him. Gladio runs after him, but halts as a miasmic fog surrounds both Prompto and the beast, backing away to avoid a repeat incident.

Noctis comes to his senses as the smoke dissipates, revealing Prompto shooting at Gladio, who blocks the bullets with his shield. Noctis yells and warp-strikes the Treant, jerking Prompto’s attention to him. He dodges bullets and attacks and shouts for Ignis to help, but as Ignis joins the fight, Prompto focuses on him. A bullet whizzes past his head, and it’s too dangerous to approach Prompto further. Summoning their last vial of smelling salts, Ignis throws it and prays it hits.

The vial shatters in midair with a well-placed bullet, but its scent reaches Prompto all the same.

Ignis calls for them to fall back, and they regroup away from the Treant. Its movements are slower, it has to be on its last legs. They dodge a jump and bombard its limbs with an onslaught of attacks, aiming at joints and tearing away its defenses. Avoiding successive swipes and keeping close, Ignis shouts a command.

“Give it all we’ve got!”

Imbuing his daggers with Fire, Ignis charges and unleashes hell, whirling, flipping, and striking at every part of the Treant, rotten or burnt. Prompto pulls his Circular Saw from the Armiger and slashes at the beast, slicing off bark left and right. Gladio unleashes massive attacks with his greatsword, and Noctis chains together multiple warp strikes, warping in and out of range of the Treant.

With a final swing of its arms, pushing everyone back, the Treant falls, collapsing in a heap of charred, rotten bark. Ignis forces himself to his feet and rushes to everyone’s side, pulling out what few potions they had left.

Gladio staggers to his feet, his stomach and arms discolored with bruises and small cuts. The cuts close quickly and the bruises fade after a minute, only need one canister to heal the damage.

Noctis is down on one knee, clutching his sword for balance. Ignis extends a hand to him, and after a pause Noctis takes it. Ignis pulls him to his feet and assesses the damage. A few larger cuts and two bruises, both which mostly heal under a single potion. He gives him another just in case and lets Noctis decide whether he needs it or not.

Prompto lies on his stomach on the ground, his breath coming out in erratic gasps. His gun is held weakly in his right hand, his left attempting to push himself up. Bruises and open wounds are littered down his arms, and his entire body shakes with fear and weakness.

Ignis kneels down to Prompto’s level, gingerly wrapping an arm around him and pulling him into a sitting position. His own body begs for something, anything to stop the pain, but Ignis ignores it as he presses a potion over Prompto’s chest. The wounds stitch themselves back together, and though the bruises only partially fade, they’d heal over time.

“A-Are you sure it’s--” Prompto stops short of finishing his question, but he shakily raises his gun to point at the Treant’s body.

“It’s dead, Prompto.”

“P-Positive?”

“Positive.”

A moment of silence passes, and Ignis holds his breath as he waits for Prompto’s reaction. Prompto cautiously lowers his gun, and he pauses before he starts to laugh breathily. Ignis lets out a relieved sigh, and Prompto seems fine until a different panic sets in.

“Noct, Noct! Is he, where is he--”

“He’s alright.” Ignis reassures, directing Prompto’s attention to where Noctis and Gladio were standing, talking about the hunt, no doubt. Prompto smiles and gets up without Ignis’ help, running and stumbling to the others. Ignis drags himself to his feet, briefly summoning a polearm to steady himself. He makes his way over to rejoin the others, carefully concealing the drag in his steps as they start to leave the clearing.

While the path out isn’t long, the inclines are far from flat. Prompto and Noctis use each other as support, an arm slung around the other’s side to keep upright. Gladio wraps his arms protectively around his stomach, and despite his effort to hide it he breathes unevenly.

Ignis, however, is far worse.

A potion only half-healed the gash in his side, and blood soaks unseen through his fatigues. His shoulders throb in pain, likely bruised, and his forearms hiss with the remnants of burn scars. Though he breathes well, his legs scream to stop, every step shaky and forced.

At the top of the path Noctis slows, then pauses, looking over his shoulder. Gladio’s a few steps behind him and Prompto, but Ignis lags behind by paces.

“Specs?”

“I’m here.” Ignis reassures, forcing himself to walk faster. The added strain is too much, and his legs give out under him. Prompto yells his name, and in a flash he and Gladio are at Ignis’ side. They each take an arm and drape it over their shoulders before slowly hauling Ignis to his feet. His legs refuse to cooperate, and his feet slide and drag against the ground, unable to get a hold. Noctis grabs the potion Ignis gave him and hurries over, uncapping the bottle.

“You need this a lot more than I do.” He says, holding it to Ignis’ mouth only to get a shake of the head.

“We cannot afford to use another.”

“Iggy...” Prompto starts, but Ignis silences him with a glare. Noctis reluctantly closes the potion and stores it, only to pull out a Hi-potion in its place.

“Then use this, we have plenty--”

“We can’t waste our supplies! We’ve already used too much, we can’t afford to replace careless decisions!”

“And we can’t afford to lose you!” Gladio says, hoping to knock some sense into him. It only infuriates Ignis more.

“I’m fine!” He pulls his arms off Gladio and Prompto to prove it, and with immense pressure his legs function again for a few steps. After the fifth they fail, and though Prompto and Noctis rush to help, Gladio’s the one holds him up with one arm around him.

“You can’t walk, Ignis! If you’re going to fuss over money, then let me support you so we can continue at camp!”

Ignis fumes at the order, but he bites his tongue to stop from escalating the situation further. Even with Gladio’s help he stumbles, and no amount of force, willpower, and pained looks from Prompto and Noctis can keep his legs up for more than a few seconds. The fourth time he falters, Gladio sighs, and the next thing Ignis knows he’s lifted into the air. His side screams in pain, and he bites his tongue to stop from doing the same.

“Hang in there.” Gladio says, or rather commands as he adjusts his hold on Ignis. One arm supports his back and the other his legs, and at this distance Gladio can see the blood staining Ignis’ shirt. He doesn’t grimace, but disappointment flashes in his eyes. By the way Ignis hisses and hides his face in his shoulder, he’s disappointed too.

When they reach the top of the path, Gladio stops, turning to Prompto and Noctis. He jerks his head towards the thicket tunnel, relaying a silent message they understand immediately. They tear off through the tunnel, disappearing out of sight around a bend. The sound of their footsteps fades, and for a few minutes, the only sounds are of Gladio and Ignis breathing. Then the footsteps return, growing gradually louder until Noctis and Prompto return into view.

Prompto leans against a tree to catch his breath, Noctis leaning against him, and Noctis gives Gladio a thumbs up. Gladio smiles and moves to join them, and by the time he reaches them they’ve caught their breath back.

They start the walk back to camp from there, and though their voices are quiet, Ignis’ mind is far from it.

Seven hundred gil for Smelling Salts, a supply of 20 absolutely necessary. Five hundred, no six hundred for potions, how many did they use? Ten, twenty, twelve? A thousand to be safe, a hundred to restock antidotes. They didn’t use many today, but their supply has been dwindling for a while. Treant Wood goes for a thousand six hundred, they’d have to dip into their current funds to afford it all. How much do they have, a thousand, two thousand? He’d have to check once they get back to camp.

Speaking of camp, he’d have to cook dinner, and he has no idea what ingredients they currently have. He refuses to serve them a measly slice of toast and plain rice balls, but they had eggs that morning and he’d like to save them for another time. Vegetarian, however simple, has little appeal, but he doesn’t want to energize them too much with chili, they’d likely pass out after cleanup. A cutlet sounds nice, especially with tomato… no, that won’t do, they’re out of Anak Meat--

“Iggy, stop stressing.”

Gladio’s words pull Ignis from his thoughts. He had tensed while lost in thought, every limb filled with nervous energy, traps waiting to be sprung. His shoulder pain had lessened to a dull ache, but now it returns as a throb, pounding in his ears.

“I’m not.”

“Stop _worrying_.” Noctis says, his voice tired but with a playful edge. He knows Ignis well enough to play his game, to break denial with the right words. Ignis smiles slightly, but it falls as fast as it appears.

“You know I won’t.” He sighs, aware of his bad habits even if they keep him prepared, keep them _safe_. Is a habit bad if it’s helpful? He should ask one day, but definitely not tonight.

“I do.” Noctis pauses to think, and Ignis imagines him remembering the times this happened in the past, though with less at stake. “Rest, Specs. You can worry later.”

“Yeah Iggy, we’ll take care of you! Consider it a returned favor!” Prompto adds, giving Ignis a bright smile. No matter the situation, he stays optimistic. Ignis wishes he could do the same.

“Trust us, we won’t let you down.” Gladio sounds confident as ever, but exhaustion seeps into his voice too. Ignis tries to think of an excuse, a protest, anything at all, but comes up with nothing.

“If you insist…but if I fall asleep, wake me up immediately.” He doubts he could sleep like this, in an atmosphere of hidden regret, but it’s best to be prepared. Injury gives him no excuse to drop his guard, to be _carried_ , but he must admit it’s…nice, if unnecessary. At least, that’s what he’d call it.

“Will do.” Noctis says, the conversation coming to an end.

Despite their insistence, Ignis continues to doubt their ability to care for him. He can care for himself, he thinks, as Gladio carries him because his legs gave out. As he bleeds from a half-healed wound that’s nonlethal, so it’s fine. As footsteps and pain merge into white noise, as his eyes close because astrals they’re heavy, he’ll just rest them, just rest them, just…rest.

 

Prompto and Noctis slow when whistle-like snoring joins their footsteps, looking back to see Ignis asleep in Gladio’s arms. They wait a second, two, then four. When he shows no sign of waking, they grin in sync, pumping their fists before pain reminds them of their fatigue. They fistbump instead as Gladio rolls his eyes at their excitement.

“Still?” Gladio mouths, referring to the plan they made that morning, assumed to have been dropped due to the drastic changes that night brought. The pair nod, Noctis giving him a thumbs up before they speed up to a normal pace. Ignis moves only to bury his face between Gladio’s arm and chest, and Gladio chuckles lightly as he follows the others, Ignis safe within his arms.

When the runes of the haven come into view, Prompto and Noctis rush to set up, tripping over each other in the process. Gladio sucks in a breath as they fall, glancing down at Ignis. His brow furrows in his sleep, and his body, having relaxed on the way here, tenses once again. Before Gladio can warn them, Prompto walks over with a pair of earmuffs. He tries to put them on, but Gladio shakes his head, mouthing the word ‘wait.’

There’s a quiet click as Noctis carefully unfolds a chair and sets it a short distance from the campfire. He jabs a finger in Gladio’s direction, then at the chair, and Gladio smirks as he makes his way to it, slowly sitting down. He adjusts Ignis’ body in his arms, letting his legs rest atop his and his back against his chest. It’s then that he lets Prompto put earmuffs on Ignis. He shifts, pained and confused, before he settles back down, his head slotted under Gladio’s chin.

Prompto sets up the table and cooking gear, and Noctis sets up the other chairs before Gladio beckons him over. They exchange words, and after a quick search Noctis drops a black notebook and pencil into his hands. Gladio pulls out and crushes a potion over Ignis’ body, its healing cloud spreading over him. As the potion does its work, Gladio flips to an empty page in the back and puts together a supply list with estimated, if not exact, costs.

Noctis gathers and positions wood for the fire, using a small amount of magic to ignite it. He watches the flames rise and lick the air, before he recalls the incident during the battle. A guilty look flashes across his face, but before he can muse on it, Prompto calls out to him. He stops to retrieve the journal from Gladio before joining Prompto at the camp kitchen.

The journal is opened and set on the table, illuminated by the lantern hanging above them. They talk in hushed tones about dinner plans, flipping between pages and checking what they have in stock. Options narrow down after a few minutes, which soon dissolves into an argument of Horntooth Meat Pie vs Tomalley-Filled Dumplings.

“We’re tired and hungry, what’s more filling than meat pie?”

“What’s more _tiring_ than making meat pie?” Noctis asks, crossing his arms. “You only want it because _you_ love meat pie!”

“No, I want it because it’s Iggy’s favorite, just like your dumb dumplings! Besides--” Prompto leans in with raised brows-- “Meat pie doesn’t have _vege-tables_!”

“If there’s one person I’ll eat _vege-tables_ for, it’s Ignis! We’re making dumplings!”

“Making individual dumplings---that’s more tiring than meat pie, liar!” Prompto jabs his finger in Noctis’ chest, emphasizing ‘liar’.

“We’ll be sleeping after this, so might as well!” Noctis throws his hands up and narrows his eyes like it’ll make Prompto concede.

“Both of you can it.” Gladio interrupts from the fire, turning his head to glare at them. “You’ll ruin the surprise if you wake Ignis with your fighting!”

“Noct started it!”

“I did not!”

“If you don’t stop we’re having cup noodles and tomato cake!”

Prompto and Noctis shut up, and after a few seconds of silence Noctis pulls out ingredients for the dumplings. Prompto excuses himself from the table to let Noctis work, instead joining Gladio by the fire and looking over the day’s photos.

It’s rare for Noctis to help cook, even rarer to make the whole meal. Thankfully, Ignis’ recipes have detailed instructions that are surprisingly easy to follow. The dumplings have various amounts of meat filling, and the pleats are uneven, but overall they’re decently made. As they boil in a pot, Prompto rejoins him and starts cleaning the table and tools, making room for sweet potatoes and a few other ingredients. When half of the dumplings are cooked, a cake enters the camp oven and begins to bake, while the cookbook returns to Gladio.

 

The smells of something savory and sweet fill the air, as muted chatter joins the symphony of crackling fire and boiling water. A pen writes on paper, moved by a steady hand attached to a strong arm and a comfortable, solid body. Bright light fights back the darkness, bathing everything in its radius in a harsh but familiar glow.

It’s this combination of sounds, scents, and sensations that causes Ignis to stir. His mind chases after darkness, after rest, but ultimately it’s too curious to resist waking up.

He blinks once, twice, and finds himself staring out over a campfire. There’s three chairs situated around it and a tent set up behind two, the entrance half open. White runes glow around the fire and under a chair, and it adds a sense of tranquility to the camp. Prompto sits in a chair across from the fire, camera in hand and going on about something Ignis can’t hear. When Prompto notices him, he jumps from his chair and rushes over, taking something fluffy off his ears that Ignis soon registers as earmuffs.

“Iggy, you’re awake!”

Two people laugh behind him, one he can feel through his back. The first laugh is farther away and low, and by the way its owner calls him ‘Specs,’ he can conclude that it’s Noctis. The second is both directly above and behind him, louder and deeper in a way that screams both friendly and protective. That had to be Gladio, then, but it doesn’t explain the location of the laugh--

Until Ignis realizes that if two seats had been empty, and if Noctis is standing, then he’s _sharing a seat_ with Gladio. He panics and tries to jump out of his seat, but Gladio’s arms stop him, pulling him back down.

“Easy there Iggy, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn't.” Ignis lies, mentally asking his heart to stop beating so fast. He searches for a way to escape Gladio’s hold, but when nothing comes to mind, he hesitantly resigns to his current fate. “I told you to wake me the moment I fell asleep.”

“You needed the rest.” Noctis says, fishing out the last few dumplings from the pot on the stove.

“Regardless of my state, I can still cook--” Ignis stops mid-sentence. There was a noticeable lack of pain in his shoulders, and his legs seem to have recovered their strength. While his fatigues were damp with sweat and blood, his side felt considerably less open, and the burn scars on his forearms were entirely gone.

“Who used--I said we can’t afford to use another potion!”

“You said wrong.” Gladio opens Ignis’ notebook and flips to the back, where prices and supplies had been calculated. “With what dropped today, we have plenty of gil for more potions if needed.”

“Treant Trunks are only--”

“We got skins and needles from the Mushussu.” Noctis interrupts, Prompto helping him plate dumplings, lettuce, and sauce in what they hope is a pleasing display. Ignis takes the book from Gladio’s hand and looks over the math. Surprisingly, he found no flaws at a quick glance, half because there’s approximation marks by every other number. The total cost was much less than he thought with the Mushussu drops taken into consideration, though he ought to redo it with exact numbers just to make sure.

He didn’t have to look to know Gladio was smiling smugly.

“You can cut the attitude.” Ignis says, but there’s an edge of playfulness in his voice. Gladio only laughs before he closes the book and returns it to him. It’s then Noctis announces that dinner is ready, and Gladio lets Ignis go so he can move to his own chair. To his surprise, Noctis brings a plate to him, and Ignis’ eyes widen as he sees what’s served.

“Noct, you didn’t have to cook, especially not one of my favorites!” He takes the plate from Noctis’ hands, staring in disbelief at the dumplings that lay on it. The uneven pleats and unequal amounts of filling aren’t what shock him, in fact they don’t bother him at all, seeing how much effort Noctis put into them. It’s the fact that Noctis decided to cook--one of his favorite meals, nonetheless--and so out of the blue, in Ignis’ opinion, that surprises him.

“I didn’t, but I wanted to.” Noctis says, grabbing his own plate and sitting down. “Besides, I had this planned all day, I wasn’t going to ditch it just because of a battle gone wrong.”

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Prompto chimes in, and Noctis fails to stop from snorting, then giggling.

“OK, _we_ had this planned all day.” Prompto smiles and nods, and Ignis looks between the two of them. His gaze then settles on Gladio, who has an even smugger expression.

“Don’t tell me I’m the only one left out here.”

“Sorry Ignis, but you are. I didn’t know from the start, but I figured it out.”

Ignis sighs, but he finds that he can’t be mad at any of them. Everyone has their secrets, even if they pertain to him.

“Now enough with the talking and let’s eat, I’m starving!”

Everyone laughs at Gladio’s words before they dig in, eating dumplings both dipped into sauce and plain. Prompto hums at the taste, and Ignis has to agree, humming softly with him.

“These are wonderful, Noct.” Ignis smiles fondly at him, and Noctis returns it with a cheeky grin.

“What can I say? I learned from the best.”

“I wouldn’t say _that_.”

“The best among _us_ , then.” Gladio says, both Noctis and Prompto nodding.

“Now _that_ I can accept with pride.”

As they empty their plates, Prompto takes them and runs to the kitchen set, cleaning them off in their makeshift sink. They’re dried as fast as they’re washed, and Ignis is about to ask what the rush is about when the camp oven is opened. The unmistakable aroma of chiffon fills the air, and Ignis actually turns in his seat to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. Sure enough, a fluffy chiffon cake is pulled out using clean towels as oven mitts.

“What're you waiting for, come on up!”

Ignis keeps most of his composure as he stands up, but he walks fast to the table where the cake is set down. It’s as fluffy as he remembers, and when was the last time he saw one, a month, four, maybe a year? It’s been a long time, that’s all that matters, and he covers his mouth to hide one of the biggest smiles he’s made.

“My last question is, why tonight of all nights?”

The others each trade grins, and Noctis pulls out his phone before showing Ignis the date. In large black letters are the words _February 7th_ , following by a reminder that says _Ignis’ birthday_. Ignis drops his hand from his mouth, revealing his smile, and without even counting Gladio, Noctis, and Prompto say the same words in unison.

“ **Happy birthday, Ignis!** ”

Noctis pulls Ignis into a hug, followed by Prompto doing the same and Gladio hugging all of them. An exuberant laugh bubbles in his throat and Ignis lets it free, laughing through tears of joy. He completely forgot that morning, so focused on planning for the future that he didn’t question why today felt so different from the start. He wraps an arm around both Noctis and Prompto and lies back into Gladio’s hold, and in such overwhelming feeling there’s only one thing he can say.

“ ** _Thank you all for everything, absolutely everything._** ”


End file.
